Who do I complain to? Is it worth complaining?

[Jonathon1]

Hello,

 

I am not sure whether or not I can complain about this now, whether it is actually worth complaining or even to whom I complain? Also please bear in mind I haven't travelled by train for years, so I am not really up on terminology.

 

To cut to the chase, last week at about 30 minutes notice I had to travel from Thirsk to London. I went to Thirsk station and at the ticket desk asked when the next train was that I could catch for London and could I buy the cheapest ticket for it.

 

I was given a ticket and told to catch the next train (which was due in about a minute later) and change at York for the next train to London. I thus got on the next train at Thirsk (which was going to Manchester Airport via York). The guard stamped my ticket and all was well. I thus got off at York to change trains for London.

 

From what I could deduce from the monitors, the London trains shown were all running late for some reason. However when the next London bound train pulled in about 20 minutes later I got on it and sat down. The train was non stop to London which I thought was ideal. A while later, the guard came along and when he looked at my ticket said it was not valid for that train and I would have to pay another £84.60!! Obviously I wasn't too chuffed by this (even less so when he said that the train I was on had actually stopped at Thirsk shortly after the one I had boarded) and would have in effect been the 'next' train to London without having the need to change and I had been sold the wrong ticket). It impressed me even less when he said if I had missed out the booking office entirely I could have boarded his train without a ticket and just paid the £84.60 which was less than the ticket I had bought!!

 

The guard did have the courtesy to explain that my ticket said 'EC and connections' on it, and it meant I had to travel by an 'East Coast' train and the train I was on was a 'Grand Central'. Personally I thought all trains were alike and that as I had in effect got a 'connecting train' from York it should have been valid as it was a connection. It was after all valid on a Trans Pennine Train (I have never examined a train ticket before so this was all new to me and I wouldn't have had a clue as to what 'EC' meant other than possibly thinking it was the 'East Coast' Mainline which I was traveling on).

 

So, I am thus £84.60 out of pocket. I did ring up Grand Central in York to try to get a refund but they said it was an East Coast problem. I them tried ringing East Coast who said it wasn't their problem either and it was a Trans Pennine Express problem. I tried ringing Trans Pennine (who apparently manage Thirsk station) but they said as my ticket had been stamped (by their guard between Thirsk and York) as far as they were concerned it could not be refunded and I should speak with East Coast whose train I should have travelled on.

 

So there we are, going round and round in circles. Is there actually any sort of central body to complain to so I don't go round in circles again??. Is there any point in complaining?. To be honest I will never travel by train again if this is the state of railways in 2014. It is the car for me in future, or even flying from Leeds Bradford Airport to London (it would probably be cheaper!!).

 

Sorry for the rant, but I feel pretty miffed about the whole situation.

 

Jonathon

Edited May 31, 2014 by Jonathon1
spelling

[rebel11]

Hi Jonathon

 

Welcome to CAG

 

To me it looks like you received incorrect information from the customer services advisor at Thirsk Station (First TransPennine Trains).

 

That is where your complaint should be addressed.

 

Write a Formal Letter of Complaint, mark it as such. Explain what's happened (given wrong information), how they have let you down (it cost you £84.60) and what you want them to do (refund £84.60, plus call costs).

 

Send it to:-

 

Nick Donovan

Managing Director

First TransPennine Express

7th Floor, Bridgewater House

60 Whitworth Street

Manchester

M1 6LT

[Jonathon1]

Thank you rebel 11.

 

I will certainly write to him.

 

Just out of curiosity, is there a sort of central body to complain to when things involve multiple rail companies?

 

Also out of curiosity, I have just been playing on the railway websites. Re my ticket having 'EC and Connections' on it, it seems that when booking tickets online it shows East Coast Trains tickets as having the two letter code of 'GR'?. Never mind 'EC' where does 'GR' come from? Plus how is your average infrequent traveler to know that 'GR' equals East Coast, and then find that it is 'EC' actually printed on the tickets? Surely rail travel was never as complicated in British Rail days?

 

Jonathon

[rebel11]

Hi Jonathon

 

http://www.passengerfocus.org.uk/help/rail-complaints

 

http://orr.gov.uk/about-orr/contact-us/complaints

 

Let us know how you get on.

 

There should be a direct email address available for the MD online.

 

Thank you rebel 11.

 

I will certainly write to him.

 

Just out of curiosity, is there a sort of central body to complain to when things involve multiple rail companies?

 

Also out of curiosity, I have just been playing on the railway websites. Re my ticket having 'EC and Connections' on it, it seems that when booking tickets online it shows East Coast Trains tickets as having the two letter code of 'GR'?. Never mind 'EC' where does 'GR' come from? Plus how is your average infrequent traveler to know that 'GR' equals East Coast, and then find that it is 'EC' actually printed on the tickets? Surely rail travel was never as complicated in British Rail days?

 

Jonathon

[firstclassx]

Hello,

 

I am not sure whether or not I can complain about this now, whether it is actually worth complaining or even to whom I complain? Also please bear in mind I haven't travelled by train for years, so I am not really up on terminology.

 

To cut to the chase, last week at about 30 minutes notice I had to travel from Thirsk to London. I went to Thirsk station and at the ticket desk asked when the next train was that I could catch for London and could I buy the cheapest ticket for it.

 

I was given a ticket and told to catch the next train (which was due in about a minute later) and change at York for the next train to London. I thus got on the next train at Thirsk (which was going to Manchester Airport via York). The guard stamped my ticket and all was well. I thus got off at York to change trains for London.

 

From what I could deduce from the monitors, the London trains shown were all running late for some reason. However when the next London bound train pulled in about 20 minutes later I got on it and sat down. The train was non stop to London which I thought was ideal. A while later, the guard came along and when he looked at my ticket said it was not valid for that train and I would have to pay another £84.60!! Obviously I wasn't too chuffed by this (even less so when he said that the train I was on had actually stopped at Thirsk shortly after the one I had boarded) and would have in effect been the 'next' train to London without having the need to change and I had been sold the wrong ticket). It impressed me even less when he said if I had missed out the booking office entirely I could have boarded his train without a ticket and just paid the £84.60 which was less than the ticket I had bought!!

 

The guard did have the courtesy to explain that my ticket said 'EC and connections' on it, and it meant I had to travel by an 'East Coast' train and the train I was on was a 'Grand Central'. Personally I thought all trains were alike and that as I had in effect got a 'connecting train' from York it should have been valid as it was a connection. It was after all valid on a Trans Pennine Train (I have never examined a train ticket before so this was all new to me and I wouldn't have had a clue as to what 'EC' meant other than possibly thinking it was the 'East Coast' Mainline which I was traveling on).

 

So, I am thus £84.60 out of pocket. I did ring up Grand Central in York to try to get a refund but they said it was an East Coast problem. I them tried ringing East Coast who said it wasn't their problem either and it was a Trans Pennine Express problem. I tried ringing Trans Pennine (who apparently manage Thirsk station) but they said as my ticket had been stamped (by their guard between Thirsk and York) as far as they were concerned it could not be refunded and I should speak with East Coast whose train I should have travelled on.

 

So there we are, going round and round in circles. Is there actually any sort of central body to complain to so I don't go round in circles again??. Is there any point in complaining?. To be honest I will never travel by train again if this is the state of railways in 2014. It is the car for me in future, or even flying from Leeds Bradford Airport to London (it would probably be cheaper!!).

 

Sorry for the rant, but I feel pretty miffed about the whole situation.

 

Jonathon

 

 

Well, incidentally, your story is impossible.

 

Tickets with that route "EC & Connections" are only available for "Advance" tickets. These CANNOT be purchased on the day, indeed, there no Advance fares even exist for this amount.

 

The only tickets that could be sold 30 mins before departure would have said:

 

1) ANY PERMITTED

2) GRAND CTRL ONLY

 

Both of these are very clear.

 

You also failed to inform the forum that you were sat in first class if they charged you £80 odd for the replacement.

 

What appears most likely is you purchased an Advance ticket for specific trains (obv in advance), perhaps collected it on the day, but certainly didn't buy it there - and boarded the incorrect services. I would then imagine you simply asked Thirsk staff for the next train to London (without showing them your restricted ticket) and they have told you the fastest way to London.

[timbo58]

If 'firstclassx' is correct:

 

a) FFS, what's the point of 'embellishing' to try and prove your argument?

b) why try it on here where it's fairly obvious the regulars are experts in the field (not theoretical law experts like most forums seem to promote)?

 

It's like all the idiots that start screaming '[problem]/con/ripoff/theft/fraud' whenever they don't get what they want elsewhere just like spoilt little toddlers throwing a tantrum in tescos.

 

If firstclassx is wrong I apologise.

 

If he is not I suggest you put this claim in writing and give the TOC the opportunity of telling you to get stuffed.

[firstclassx]

If 'firstclassx' is correct:

 

a) FFS, what's the point of 'embellishing' to try and prove your argument?

b) why try it on here where it's fairly obvious the regulars are experts in the field (not theoretical law experts like most forums seem to promote)?

 

It's like all the idiots that start screaming '[problem]/con/ripoff/theft/fraud' whenever they don't get what they want elsewhere just like spoilt little toddlers throwing a tantrum in tescos.

 

If firstclassx is wrong I apologise.

 

If he is not I suggest you put this claim in writing and give the TOC the opportunity of telling you to get stuffed.

 

Embellishing? I do enjoy "catching" people out.

 

But, no, just pointing out that there are some "customers" out there who are either completely oblivious to reality and feel the need to lie or make untrue/misleading statements in order to justify their actions.

 

The fact the OP never came back speaks volumes.

 

I did quite a bit of research into this topic, including going through the fares database to check which route descriptions are available for flows from Thirsk to London/South.

 

I am fairly confident the OP has knowingly purchased a super cheap, inflexible, train specific ticket, and for whatever reason decided to travel on a different train and is trying to justify it by pointing the finger at staff, despite his ticket clearly stating BOOKED TRAIN ONLY.

 

Wasn't just a throwaway post by me, I do research the topics as required.